Riverside Brookfield High School art teacher Laura Turk won’t be back at RB next year after school board officials declined to renew her contract.
Turk, who taught at RB for two years, declined to resign.
As a result, students have created a Change.org petition to protest her dismissal. It is titled “Ensure Mrs. Turk’s Continuation as a Teacher From 2025 and Beyond” and has garnered 611 online signatures as of May 30.
“Our beloved teacher, Mrs. Turk, has made an indelible impact on our lives,” the petition’s authors wrote online. “Known for her patience, understanding, and dedication to her job, she is more than just an educator — she is a mentor and a guiding light for many students in Illinois.”
They said that Turk’s ability to connect with students on a personal level sets her apart, and claim that she has “consistently demonstrated excellence in her role, earning the respect and admiration of both students and parents alike.”
“We cannot afford to lose someone as valuable as Mrs. Turk after 2024,” they said.
Sophomore Sophie Fingerhut spoke out against Turk’s dismissal during the public comment portion of the District 208 school board meeting May 14, saying that Turk was the reason that a lot of students took art classes.
“I understand that, you know, people get fired and that’s just how it is,” Fingerhut said. “But Ms. Turk was a teacher that really inspired a lot of students here.”
A review of emails obtained by the Landmark through a public records request show that Turk was offered the option to resign. Turk indicated she wanted to know what would be the consequences of not resigning, but chose not to resign.
“I was incredibly fortunate to work with excellent Fine Arts educators at RBHS,” Turk told the Landmark in an email. “I appreciate all that they do to generate safe and creative spaces for students. The students at RBHS are amazing young adults who made my job enjoyable each and every day.”
Supt. Kevin Skinkis declined to elaborate about why Turk was dismissed.
“She was non-tenured so she was non-renewed,” Skinkis said. “We cannot go into specifics but we wish Ms. Turk the best of luck in her future in education.”
Turk, who had 13 years of teaching experience, was credited only with three years of experience for seniority for salary purposes when she was hired in 2022. A year later, RBTV teacher Matt Holdren was credited for all of his seniority earned at Homewood-Flossmoor High School when he was hired in 2023. Skinkis told the Landmark that RB does not have a formal policy about crediting seniority teachers accumulate at other districts, but typically gives one year of seniority for each three years worked at other districts, except for hard-to-fill positions, such as the RBTV teacher position.
Skinkis said she was not dismissed because she had questioned her compensation and seniority.
School board president Deanna Zalas said that the decision to dismiss Turk, which was approved by the school board by a 6-0 vote at the March 12 school board meeting, was a result of declining enrollment in visual arts classes.
The number of students who registered for visual arts classes next year declined by 232 students to 435, according to district records. School officials said that enrollment in visual arts classes were inflated in 2023-24 because many students who could not get into a culinary class due to lack of space enrolled in a visual arts class instead.
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